The Controversy Surrounding Defence Minister Gusau's Resignation

The Presidency and the Ministry of Defence on Wednesday denied  a report  by  an online news portal, Saharareporter,  that the new Minister of Defence, Lt.-Gen. Aliyu Gusau, had resigned his appointment.

The online journal had reported that Gusau was miffed by what a Presidency source described as “insurbordination” by some military chiefs on his person and his office.”

Although the Presidency and the MOD described the report  as untrue, The PUNCH  gathered that the  intervention of  the Senate President, David Mark, and a former  dictator, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, made the minister to have a rethink.

It was gathered that the intervention of the two men was at the instance of President Goodluck Jonathan.

 The President was said to have asked the two men to appeal to Gusau  not  to leave his government.

It  was further learnt  that Jonathan who considered the move by the minister  to leave office as ridiculous,  also  asked  him (Gusau) to reconsider his position.

Apart from this, the President reasoned that  his resignation could affect the image of the Federal Government negatively.

 A source said, “This was the reason the President asked  Mark and Babangida to intervene by speaking with Gusau, which they did.

“The two of them spoke with Gusau and he agreed to stay back. The issues he raised that  made him want   to leave office are  being resolved. I know that sooner than later, heads would roll in the military.”

The source confirmed that Gusau, who probably had an antidote to curb the bloodshed in the North-East, had summoned a meeting  with the  security chiefs  on how to change  military  strategies  in the zone.